Electronic apparatuses or devices such as set-top boxes can be assembled apparatuses having a plurality of walls wherein at least one of the walls can be secured with a plurality of screws. Unfortunately, gaining access to the interior components of these devices can require removing the plurality of screws which can often require excessive handling of the device. The excessive handling often can involve changing the orientation of the device, such as by turning the device upside down or placing it on its sides, to find each of the screws. This can then be followed by disassembling the device by removal of one screw at a time with the device being upside down or on its side. This excessive handling of the device can increase the chances of damaging the interior components because each motion of the device can jar the components. Additionally, the removal and reengaging of the screws can present an opportunity for scratching the device or stripping threads of the screws.
In light of the fact that interior components of electronic devices can often need to be accessed and that accessing the interior components can place the interior components at risk of damage or can place the electronic device at risk for scratches, a need can exist for an improved electronic device structure and method for opening the electronic device which is fast, simple, and safe.
To meet this need one known system is disclosed in WO2010008360A1. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus according to WO2010008360A1 in a disassembled condition. An apparatus 1, such as a set top box, can comprise an enclosure having exterior walls defining an interior space, a top 10 having an interior surface 112 and a plurality of coupling clips 30 extending from the interior surface, and a base 5. The base 5 has an inner surface, a plurality of clip receiving members 20 extending from the inner surface which engage the coupling clips 30 to secure the top 10 to the base 5. The base 5 further includes at least one aperture 7 adapted to permit a release fixture 50 having a plurality of decoupling members 40 extending from a plate 51 to simultaneously disengage the clip receiving members 20.
The method of assembling the apparatus 1 according to WO2010008360A1 includes: pushing a base 5 and top 10 together by applying a vertical force; simultaneously contacting coupling clips 30 of the top 10 with clip receiving members 20 of the base 5; laterally repositioning grasping portions 31 of the coupling clips 30; and snapping the grasping portions 31 into their initial lateral positions or some intermediate positions. There can be a lateral and vertical overlap of portions of the coupling clips 30 and part of the clip receiving members 20 which can cause the top 10 and base 5 to be disassembled. The clips and clip receiving members can be referred to as locks which can be unlocked by decoupling members. The method can further include steps for dissembling the apparatus, including: aligning a release fixture to the base 5; applying a linear force to the release fixture 50 to cause a plurality of decoupling members 40 extending from a plate 51 of the release fixture 50 to enter apertures of the base 5; substantially contacting the decoupling members 40 to the grasping portions 31 simultaneously; laterally repositioning grasping portions 31 of the coupling clips 30 to disengage the grasping portions 31; and lifting off the top 10.
FIG. 1 shows the apparatus 1 according to WO2010008360A1 in a disassembled condition. The apparatus 1 can be an electronic apparatus such as a set-top box. The apparatus 1 can includes an enclosure having exterior walls defining an interior space. The enclosure can house various electronic components such as processors, smart card assemblies, tuners, fans, storage devices, etc. These components can be supported in an interior support structure 60 which itself can have side walls and a base. The exterior walls can be a front wall 8, rear wall 6, side walls 4, a top 10 and a base 5.
The base 5 has an inner surface 13 opposite the outer surface and facing the top 10. The base 5 further includes a plurality of clip receiving members 20 extending from the inner surface 13, which are designed to secure the base 5 to the top 10. The base 5 further includes a series of apertures 7 which are associated with the clip receiving members 20 and are adjacent or near the clip receiving members 20.
In one example, there is one aperture 7 for each clip receiving member 20. However, in other examples of WO2010008360A1, single apertures 7 can be associated with and used for multiple clip receiving members 20.
The top 10 of the apparatus 1 includes an exterior surface 11 and interior surface 112. The top 10 further includes a plurality of coupling clips 30 designed to engage or snap into the clip receiving members 20 of the base 5. The plurality of coupling clips 30 effectively secures the top 10 to the base 5.
The expression “snap” can imply either that some part of the coupling clips 30 and/or some part of the clip receiving members 20 are flexible or resilient to permit some lateral repositioning or motion of either part when a vertical force is applied pushing the base 5 and top 10 together to cause the coupling clips 30 and/or some portion of the clip receiving members 20 to contact. Further, lateral repositioning or motion can occur upon the contact and can increase as the coupling clips 30 and/or some portion of the clip receiving members 20 move further in opposite vertical directions with the force. The force finally causes the top 10 and base 5 to be in a predetermined assembled state. In terms of the separation dimension, the part of the coupling clip 30 or clip receiving members 20 which had been repositioned or moved can return to its initial lateral position or some intermediate position such that there is a lateral and vertical overlap of portions of the coupling clips 30 and/or part of the clip receiving members 20, for example, a shoulder. The lateral and vertical overlap of portion of the coupling clips and/or part of the clip receiving member can cause the top 10 and base 5 to be assembled or fixed together. The top 10 and base 5 cannot be separated in a nondestructive manner by opposite vertical forces that attempt to separate the top 10 and base 5. “Snapping” can often be assumed to imply rapid or immediate movement toward the initial state, however, the movement can be slow.
The interior support structure 60 can have holes or slots 9 which can be also associated with the apertures 7 to allow clearance for the clip receiving members 20.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are an exploded view of the coupling clips of the apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 2A shows a two-prong coupling clip 30 extending from the inner surface 12 of the top 10. Each prong has a grasping portion 31 at a distal end of a downwardly or inwardly extending portion 32. The grasping portion 31 can have a shoulder and a sloped side extending down or away from the end of the shoulder and forming an acute angle with the shoulder. The slope side can be curved with at least part of the surface forming an acute angle with the shoulder. In FIG. 2A, the shoulders of the grasping portions 31 extend away from one another.
FIG. 2B shows an example of a one-prong coupling clip 30. The one prong has a grasping portion 31 at a distal end of a downwardly or inwardly extending portion 32. The grasping portion 31 can also have a shoulder and a sloped side extending from the end of the shoulder downwardly or away from the inner surface 12. A portion of the sloped side can form an acute angle with the shoulder. The distal end can extend at least two different lengths from the top. Grasping portion 31 can extend in at least two different dimensions from the top, which can make it more difficult for unauthorized disassembly of the apparatus.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a coupling clip engaged in a clip receiving member of the assembled apparatus according to WO2010008360A1. FIG. 3 illustrates how the two-prong coupling clip 30 of FIG. 2A can engage the clip receiving member 20 of the base 5. Clip receiving member 20 extends from the base 5 and has a shoulder 21 at a distal end of an upwardly or inwardly extending part 22. FIG. 3 shows an example of an aperture 7 which can be formed in the base 5. Each aperture 7 can correspond to an engagement for coupling clip 30 with clip receiving member 20. The distal end of the upwardly or inwardly extending part 22 can refer to the location remote from the base 5 where the shoulders 21 of the clip receiving member 20 extends. The structure of the clip receiving member 20 can have additional parts or an extension that extends passed the shoulder. The distal end of the clip receiving member 20 can refer to a location remote from the base 5 where the shoulder 21 of the clip receiving member 20 extends.
FIG. 3 shows the grasping portions 31 snapped into the clip receiving member 20 by having the respective shoulders of the grasping portions 31 extending passed the shoulders 21 of the clip receiving members 20. The respective shoulders can overlap and be in contact with each other or in proximity to each other, thereby securing the top 10 to the base 5.
FIG. 3 also shows the front wall 8 being held into an assembled state by being positioned in slots 3 in the top 10 and base 5. This illustrates another feature of WO2010008360A1 which is that examples can include some or all of the walls being held into place by slots 3 in the top 10 and/or base 5. This feature can be advantageous because it can use fewer screws or no screws at all, which is an object of WO2010008360A1.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another coupling clip engaged in a clip receiving member of the assembled apparatus according to WO2010008360A1. FIG. 4 illustrates how the one-prong coupling clip 30 of FIG. 2B can engage the clip receiving member 20 of the base 5. FIG. 4 also shows an aperture 7 which can be formed in the base 5 and associated with the engagement of the illustrated coupling clip 30 and clip receiving member 20. An aperture 7 can also be slot cut or formed into the base 5. The clip receiving member 20 engages the coupling clip 30 the same way as that in FIG. 3.
A key feature of WO2010008360A1 can be that there is a plurality of coupling clip 30 and clip receiving member 20 engagements and that in a preferred example, the engagements during assembly can be performed substantially simultaneously. The expression simultaneously can be used to include situations where there can be some slack from one engagement to another. For example, the length of travel for one engagement can be 5% greater than the length on another engagement. The engagements being simultaneous can be advantageous because it can prevent twisting or tilting of the top 10 with respect to the base 5. Further elements of WO2010008360A1 can include only one-prong coupling clips 30 in the apparatus 1, only two-prong coupling clips 30, or a combination of both.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the assembled apparatus and a release fixture according to WO2010008360A1. FIG. 5 introduces another element of WO2010008360A1, where the apparatus can be designed to be easily disassembled by using a single tool in one simple and single linear motion 70 while the apparatus 1 is maintained in its normal operating orientation. The tool can be a release fixture 50 that has a plurality of decoupling members 40 extending from a plate 51 to simultaneously disengage the coupling clips 30 from the clip receiving members 20. The feature of having the disengagements being simultaneous can be advantageous because it can prevent twisting or tilting of the top with respect to the base 5. The decoupling members 40 are each designed to align with apertures 7 and contact the coupling clips 30. To disassemble the apparatus 1, the release fixture 50 is placed on a flat surface. The apparatus 1 is aligned with the release fixture 50, and then in one motion the apparatus 1 is placed and pushed toward the release fixture 50. The motion causes the decoupling members 40 to disengage the coupling clips 30 from the clip receiving members 20 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.
FIG. 6 is a cross-section of the apparatus and release fixture according to WO2010008360A1 during various steps of disassembly of the apparatus. FIG. 6 illustrates how the two-prong coupling clip 30 is disengaged during the single linear motion 70 in FIG. 5. FIG. 6A shows the decoupling member 40 as having a U-shape design with flat upper edges that contact the grasping portions 31 when the decoupling member 40 enters the aperture 7 and applies an upward or inward force 53. The upward or inward force 53 can cause the grasping portion 31 to shift in a direction 54 away from the upwardly extending part 22 such that the downwardly extending portion 32 bends and/or angles to a position where the shoulder of the grasping portion 31 clears or moves passed the shoulder 21 of the clip receiving member 20.
FIG. 6B shows the positioning of the grasping portion 31 when its shoulder clears or moves passed the shoulder 21 of the clip receiving member 20 and the decoupling member 40 is fully inserted. At this point, the top 10 can be removed by simply lifting it as shown in FIG. 6C. FIG. 6C shows the positioning of the grasping portion 31 of the coupling clips 30 when top 10 is lifted, allowing the components within the apparatus 1 to be accessed.
The assembly can be easily reassembled by simply placing the top 10 over the base 5 with the release fixture 50 removed and pressing the top 10 down or toward the base 5. Each of the coupling clips 30 can then be reengaged into the clip receiving members 20.
FIG. 7 is another cross-section of the apparatus and release fixture according to WO2010008360A1 during various steps of disassembly of the apparatus. FIG. 7 illustrates how the one-prong coupling clip 30 is disengaged during the single linear motion 70 in FIG. 5. FIG. 7A shows the decoupling member 40 as having a narrow edge which has a width the same dimension as the shoulder 21. The dimension is such that the narrow edge contacts the grasping portion 31 when the decoupling member 40 enters the aperture 7. The decoupling member can apply an upward or inward force 53 causing the grasping portion 31 to shift in a direction 54 away from the upwardly extending part 22 causing the downwardly extending portion 32 to bend and/or angle to a position where the shoulder of the grasping portion 31 clears or moves passed the shoulder 21 of the clip receiving member 20.
FIG. 7B shows the positioning of the grasping portion 31 of the one-prong coupling clip 30 when its shoulder clears or moves passed the shoulder 21 of the clip receiving member 20 and the decoupling member 40 is fully inserted. At this point, the top 10 can be removed by simply lifting it as shown in FIG. 7C. FIG. 7C shows the positioning of the grasping portion 31 of the coupling clips 30 when top 10 is lifted, thereby allowing the components within the apparatus 1 to be accessed.
Although WO2010008360A1 has its advantages over the prior art, WO2010008360A1 can be somewhat complicated and require coupling clips 30 to extend down from a horizontal interior portion of the top or outer cover 10. This in turn can imply that the interior circuit board and any other interior components can be designed to accommodate the coupling clips 30 and clip receiving members 20.
A need for a simpler design which provides many of the advantages of WO2010008360A1, but is more universal and does not require interior components (such as top broad heatsinks and circuit boards) to be specially designed to accommodate and fit around coupling clips and clip receiving members, exists. Additionally, a need for a design which permits the top of the set top box to remain in a lateral position with respect to the frame and base of the set top box when it is unlatched and a means to secure or hold the set top box as the top is removed exists.
Other known methods can include: strong magnets that can require hands on both the base and the fixture to remove the base; latching devices that can require a second motion by the user to attach and detach the base from the fixture; and complex springs that push the cover from the base.